The new ultra-light notebook introduced by Samsung at IFA 2008 has captured the press attention. It received a lot of buzz around the blogosphere and I must agree that x360 is a MacBook killer. Unless you are an Apple fan, you will agree with me too…

First of all, the new x360 is lighter than Air – 2.9 pounds(1.27kg) instead of 3.0 pounds, as MacBook Air weights. Secondly, it does better with connectivity, including 3 USB ports, 7-in-1 card reader, LAN port, VGA port, as well as HDMI connection. To notice more differences, the Samsung marvel comes with either 64GB/128GB solid state drive or 120GB (5400rpm SATA). It also features the super-fast wireless 802.11 n standard and the battery lasts longer, up to 10 hours.

Like Apple’s thin star, the new x360 sports a 13.3″ WXGA LED screen (1280×800), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is powered by an Intel Centrino 2 Ultra Low Voltage processor with an efficient power consumption standard. Besides, the computing needs are enhanced by the DDR3 memory with up to 4GB.

All in all, I would vote for the x360 in a competition with MacBook Air. Even the price wasn’t officially announced, everybody speculated it would range around $2,000. The x360 notebook will enter the market this month in Europe, Russia, China and Hong Kong. No further details were given.

Check the video link below to see more details of Samsung x360.

Samsung x360 Ultra-light notebook

via Dvice

I’m pretty sure over here, that Apple fans are waiting on the big announcement that the MacBook Air is getting Penryn help under the hood. Apparently the company is going to ditch the 65-nm Intel processor special made for them and will go for the “standard” 45nm chips that should run from 2.26 GHz to 3.06 GHz with 1,066 MHz FSB.

Eco-geeks may not love the new models, because it has an increased power consumption. From 20 W to 29 W. Since this is just a rumor right now, I can only add that Intel is going release a few low and ultra-low voltage Penryns in a 22-mm package which will draw less power.

The info, which is from PhoneNews, really makes sense. We demand MBAs with Penryns. But what if we need some better batteries and better GMA X4500 integrated graphics? Can you Apple?

This is something I wasn’t expecting but now that I found it, I think it’s a very smart marketing move. This is the new Lenovo ThinkPad X300 ad that wants to redefine the idea of “thin”. It’s obviously a way of kicking the MacBook Air in the balls when they say “The no compromise, ultraportable, 13.3″ widescreen notebook with an optiona integrated DVD drive and 3 USB ports, starting at just 2.9 lb. Everything else is hot air”.

These words are definitely going to start the fight somehow. Looking forward to Apple’s reply.

via Engadget

So the store was down for a reason.

The new MacBook Pro models will run on Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn processors up to 2.6 GHz that can feature NVIDIA’s GeForce 8600M GT with 512 MB of DDR3 RAM and Apple’s Multi-Touch trackpad. The same trackpad is going to be featured in the new MacBook Air.

Both 15-inch MacBook Pro models feature power-saving, LED backlit widescreen displays. And now you can even configure the 17-inch model with the ultimate creative canvas – 1920 by 1200 pixels with LED backlighting.

All Mac notebooks are getting a built-in video camera and a built-in 802.11n Wireless. From what I’ve heard the MacBook is going to be upgraded, too, but no sign of a multi-touch trackpad. That’s too bad. Oh, one last “bad thing” is that the Apple Remote is now optional and the cost is $19.

Here are the prices of the new announced models
The 2.1 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook $1,099 (US)
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch white MacBook $1,299 (US)
The 2.4 GHz, 13-inch black MacBook $1,499 (US)
The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro $1,999 (US)
The 2.5 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro $2,499 (US)
The 2.5 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US)

AppleStore

As Apple announced today, the world’s thinnest notebook is now shipping. MacBook Air, which measures 0.16-inches at its thinnest point and 0.76-inches at the maximum height, has a starting price of $1,799. Pre-orders were available since Steve Jobs presented MacBook Air at MacWorld 2008. It is available through Apple’s online store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The top version could go over $3,000, depending on optional features.

About: MacBook Air sports a stunning 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera and a spacious trackpad. MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.

Features list for the basic model:

• 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280×800 resolution;
• 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;
• 800 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
• 80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
• Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);
• built-in iSight video camera;
• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
• one USB 2.0 port;
• one headphone port;
• multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and
• 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Order MacBook Air here.